Numbers
by ForeverLilacLies
Summary: When Itachi sees Shisui in his dreams, he is always left with a number. Each dream lowers that number.


**Short ItaShi oneshot.**

* * *

It begins like this.

Itachi dreams. A long darkened hallways with a single door at the end. A torch sits flickered weakly beside it, beckoning Itachi to come closer. Approach the light the fire provides and the freedom the door blocks. A voice calls fro the other side, soothing and comforting like mother's had been long ago. It calls him to come closer, to come through the door.

'Itachi, Itachi…'

It echoes down this long cold hall and sends chills down his spine, but still Itachi always follows that voice. When he reaches the door he will hesitate. He always does, hands lingering over the gilded door handle and mouth parched as if he hasn't had water in days. Eventually however, Itachi pushes that door open and is momentarily blinded by the light that emerge from the other side. When his sight finally adjusts he is greeted by a smiling and whole, Uchiha Shisui. As alive and wonderful as he had once been.

"There you are," Shisui greets, voice still carrying that odd echo. "I wondered where you had gone off to." Itachi moves forward, as if on auto pilot until he reaches the boy he had loved, standing close enough to touch but never daring. Shisui only smiles, eyes crinkling in the corners as he looks Itachi over with those endless dark eyes of his. "You've been away for sometime, cousin." He murmurs softly.

"I'm sorry," Itachi will reply quickly, not wishing to have his cousin worried. Shisui just shakes his head a bit, not bothered by Itachi's tardiness. He instead looks out into the void, seeing something that Itachi cannot see with a sombre expression on his face. The first time this had happened he had whispered out a number before Itachi awakens.

"2775." He had said and Itachi had not understood. When Itachi had admitted this, Shisui had just smiled sadly and apologized before vanishing and leaving Itachi alone. Each time, that number went down. "2234, 2009, 1964, 1536, 1000, 784, 354, 113, 62." There were even more numbers and Itachi had wondered about them. For years he would follow that light and reach Shisui and for years Shisui would smile at him sadly and whisper a number. Shisui says nothing however and does not even spare Itachi a glance.

"You are upset with me." Itachi deduces. "I understand if you are." How could he not be? The clan was gone and Shisui was dead. Itachi had failed him. As he had failed Sasuke. "I'm so tired," Itachi whispers weakly, voice cracking and splintering just as his soul continued to do. "I feel like I'm going to finally break." Could Shisui see it? Could this ghost of the boy Itachi had loved feel the breaks within him? The ghost-Shisui smiles fondly, reaching out to cup Itachi's cheek. He is tall. So very tall as he had always been. Even now he stands taller than Itachi. Itachi practically melts into his cousin's touch, eyes closing and shoulders relaxing as he enjoys the sensation of those gentle, chapped fingers stroking over his cheek. Shisui does not speak and Itachi does not push him to do so.

He is like dough, molded and rolled and forced into so many positions and eventually, he would lose all elasticity. Eventually, he would break. He can feel it in his fingertips and the chill in the air. He could feel it in Sasuke's scream when he had discovered their parents in a pool of their own blood. It would end soon. Very soon.

Shisui moves closer and Itachi can only blink as the older boy kisses him. He has never done this before and it does not take Itachi long to melt into it, reaching out to grasp at Shisui's shoulders desperately. When Shisui pulls back, his smile is replaced with something akin to regret and pain. He strokes Itachi's cheek once more.

"I'm sorry." He whispers and Itachi does not understand. "I love you."

"Shisui-" He begins to speak up but the ghost shakes his head. He moves forward again until he brushes his lips over Itachi's cheek. He places a gentle, tender kiss there.

"One."

Itachi wakes up.


End file.
